Assistant Professor of Political Science Alexandra Hoerl is examining "ingratitude" in the work and philosophy of Machiavelli to deepen her understanding of the philosopher/writer and in preparation for the Machiavelli seminar she'll be teaching at Wabash. Her studies have taken her to Rome, Florence, and Machiavelli's country retreat outside of Florence, where he was exiled during the Medici rule of the city. "Machiavelli writes that ingratitude might be one of the greatest threats to the Republic," Hoerl said. "Ingratitude has the potential to drive people away from government."

Taking a "fairly radical interpretation of Machiavelli," the professor is interested in the sources of this take on ingratitude in the philosopher's work, and how it shapes it.